I, and no doubt 99.9 per cent of residents here, fully concur with the contributor.

It is becoming apparent to all residents that we are merely a unit in a category of the "don't ask them".

Since the changes we have had six different wardens in as many months.

Would those in their ivory towers be happy seeing six different doctors in as many months?

We were told we would have a regular warden and provision made when our regular warden went on their more than well-deserved holidays. This is not the case.

Our wardens regularly remind us of the dangers of opening our doors to strangers but with different wardens and the memory difficulties of some of the "respected generation", this is leaving them vulnerable to those who prey on them.

Our regular warden knows our moans, groans, quirks, personalities, needs etc. Are we now expected to become parrots, repeating all this to all the different wardens who come and go?

Had the ivory tower brigade the common courtesy of consulting the residents, they wouldn't have embarked on this bureaucratic path.

A meeting in our community hall would have left them in no doubt of that.

In concluding, we appreciate all wardens who do a great job, and this is absolutely no, repeat no, reflection on their more than able ability to give us their first class attention.
E T McNabb,
Arlbury Road, Northampton.

Plenty of flowers but not for us
It is a great display of flowers outside the Guildhall and other areas and we won an award for being the best town for our flower display.

I live in St James and we used to have loads of flowers and purpose-built brick beds to display them and it was a lovely sight to see.

But we were told that the budget did not cover them anymore. If there is no budget, where did they find the money to make the Guildhall look good?

The flower beds on St James Square were a lovely sight for sore eyes.

But as we cannot have flowers in our flower beds, we have drinkers sitting there, so we have asked for them to be demolished, but with the quotes we have received, we cannot meet the price.

There appears to be money found when it pleases the council and to boost their status. St James was an estate recognised for the flowers and the park but it has been allowed to be run down due to our council praising themselves.

Don't forget the residents who live on the estates who would like to have the same pleasure as our councillors.

There appears to be a budget for their purpose but not for the residents.
A Barratt,
Byfield Road, Northampton.

An empty space
A point I have brought up several times recently talking to local people and in my letters to this newspaper that the present abortive layout of our market has gained no favours from local people and traders.

The so-called entertainment area is just an empty space with nothing on it, for most of the time.

The Liberal Democrats are the new faces on the block and we can only hope that they will be willing to listen to what the market traders of Northampton want, rather than dictate to us what we will get.

I hope the Lib Dems revert to the more common sense layout recently suggested by myself.

This layout is traditional for a very good reason; it suits the square itself, it looks right in my opinion.

So may I end by saying "the future's bright, the future's orange" for Northampton's Market. To view more, see www.fitzy.tv.
E J Fitzpatrick,
Ridgeway, Northampton.

Heritage heroes
I felt I must write and say well done to all involved in the Heritage Weekend.

I visited five places with my parents.

They were the central museum and art gallery, St Peter's Church, Hazelrigg House, The Church Restaurant and The Northampton and County Club.

All places I had never been inside.

St Peter's Church in Marefair has family connections.

My dad was born and brought up just around the corner on Black Lion Hill.

My dad's grandfather was publican of the Old Black Lion pub in the 1930s.

I shall now start thinking of places to go next year.
Hayley Mobbs,
Greenwood Road, St James, Northampton.

Pay a youngster
I wish to reply to the letter by Mrs Kathleen Stone (September 13) 'Gardens bloom too much'.

I am also a pensioner and pay my two grandsons £15 to keep my garden under control. I feel that Mrs Stone could find a young lad to cut her hedge.

They would be glad of the money.
Brian Harris,
Chermarvon Close, Towcester.

Pictures of Carry On star wanted
After four years' research I have just completed my biography of the legendary comedy actor Kenneth Williams.

Although it is now too late to include new material and anecdotes, I am now looking for unpublished photographs of the Carry On star, who died in April, 1988.

Perhaps one of your readers worked with him, knew him personally, or met him at a special event?

Your readers were kind enough to help with illustrations for some of my previous books – Catherine Cookson, Tony Hancock, Sid James and Oliver Reed – and I wonder if they could now search their scrapbooks and cupboards for any pictures of Kenneth Williams?

I would prefer to make copies from the originals but any material offered would be treated with care, copied and returned.

An acknowledgement and full credit would of course be included within the published book.

Anyone who may be able to help should write to me at the address below.
Cliff Goodwin,
29 Tudor Drive, Tanfield Village, County Durham, DH9 9QD

Oxford Street excites a teen
Margaret Arnold's opinion that Stonehenge and Bath are her favourite visitor attractions is fine (Chron, Take Five), but why belittle the views of Lauren Woods, who is only 19 and, like a lot of young girls her age, finds shops fun and exciting and cited Oxford Street in London as her favourite place?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and Lauren gave her view along with four others. If you polled 100 people you would probably have 100 different answers and no one person's opinion is more valid than anyone else's.

In time, Lauren may agree about Stonehenge and Bath but at the moment she prefers shops and this is what you would expect of a lot of 19-year-olds.
Jan Warren,
Stoke Road, Blisworth.